The present invention relates to a new magnetoresistive effect type reproducing head, and a recording-reproducing separation type magnetic head, a head disk assembly and a magnetic disk apparatus, which use the reproducing head.
A magnetoresistive effect type reproducing head using a magnetoresistive effect or a giant magnetoresistive effect is made of a magnetic multi-layer film, which exhibits the magnetoresistive effect or the giant magnetoresistive effect, a magnetoresistive effect type element including electrodes provided at both sides of the magnetic multi-layer film, and magnetic shield films arranged at the upper and lower sides of the magnetoresistive effect type element.
A principle of magnetic field detection using a magnetoresistive effect type element is based on use of a phenomena in which the electrical resistance of a magnetic multi-layer film changes corresponding to the strength of a magnetic field applied to the magnetic multi-layer film, which possesses a magnetoresistive effect or a giant magnetoresistive effect. Further, changes in the applied magnetic field are defected by causing a current to flow in the magnetic multi-layer film and then measuring the potential difference generated across the magnetic multi-layer film. However, this principle is well known.
In reproducing a stray magnetic field from information magnetically recorded in a magnetic disk installed in a magnetic disk apparatus, it is well known to cover the upper and lower sides of a magnetoresistive effect type element with magnetic shield films via an insulating layer in order to improve the spatial resolution and reduce the effects of magnetic field leakage, such as from a motor and so on, which tends to cause noise.
For development of a method of more densely recording information in a magnetic disk apparatus, in order to improve the spatial resolution, it has been tried and is also well known to reduce the distance between an upper magnetic shield and a lower magnetic shield, that is, the magnetic gap of a reproducing head. Further, conventionally, 80Nixe2x80x94Fe permalloy, Fexe2x80x94Alxe2x80x94Si Sendust, Co noncrystalline magnetic material, etc., are mainly used for a magnetic shield film. Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open 124121/1996 discloses a magnetic shield of Nixe2x80x94Fexe2x80x94P alloy or Nixe2x80x94Fexe2x80x94B alloy that is formed by an electroplating method.
A magnetoresistive effect type reproducing head has a structure in which a magnetoresistive effect type clement is formed on a lower magnetic shield via an insulation film, and an upper magnetic shield is also formed on the magnetoresistive effect type element via an insulation film.
In order to satisfy the requirement for a high increase in the recording density, especially, the linear recording density, in a magnetic disk apparatus, the distance between the lower magnetic shield and the upper magnetic shield is reduced to improve the spatial resolution. For this purpose, the thickness of the respective insulation films between a magnetoresistive effect type or giant magnetoresistive effect type element and each of the upper and lower magnetic shields is largely reduced. Thus, the withstand voltage between the magnetoresistive effect type element and the respective upper and lower magnetic shields tends to be easily deteriorated. It is believed that the deterioration of the withstand voltage in the insulation films is caused by pin holes in the insulation films.
The respective resistivities xcfx81 of a 80Nixe2x80x94Fe permalloy film, a Fexe2x80x94Alxe2x80x94Si Sendust film, and a Coxe2x80x94Nbxe2x80x94Zr alloy film, which are conventionally used for the upper and lower magnetic shield films, is approximately 20 xcexcxcexa9xc2x7cm, 80 xcexcxcexa9xc2x7cm, and 100-150 xcexcxcexa9xc2x7cm, respectively. On the other hand, the average resistivity xcfx81 of a sensor part in a magnetoresistive effect type element, although the resistivity depends on the composition of the sensor part, is approximately 20-100 xcexcxcexa9xc2x7cm. That is, the resistivity of the sensor part in a magnetoresistive effect type element is approximately the same as that of the magnetic shields. Moreover, since the thickness of the sensor part in a magnetoresistive effect type element is about 50 nm, and the thickness of the magnetic shields is about 1-3 nm, the resistance of the sensor part in a magnetoresistive effect type element is less than {fraction (1/20)} of that of a corresponding region in each magnetic shield. Therefore, if the magnetic gap is reduced, it is possible that current will leak from a pin hole generated in a part, such as a boundary region between each electrode and the sensor part in a magnetoresistive effect type element, at which the thickness of the gap is large and the thickness of the insulation film tends to become thin, and an insulation break-down of the magnetoresistive effect type element is caused by such a current leakage. Even if the current leakage occurs without an element break- down, since the resistance of the sensor part in a magnetoresistive effect type element is less than {fraction (1/20)} of that of a corresponding region in each magnetic shield, the largest amount of current flows into the magnetic shields, and information reproduction by the magnetoresistive effect type element becomes impossible. This problem is an inevitable result of reducing the magnetic gap of the presently used structure in a magnetoresistive effect type element.
An object of the present invention is to provide a new magnetoresistive effect type reproducing head, and a recording-reproducing separation type magnetic head, a head disk assembly and a magnetic disk apparatus, using the reproducing head, which can prevent a degradation of the withstand voltage between a magnetoresistive effect type element and each of an upper magnetic shield and a lower magnetic shield, the degradation being caused when the thickness of the insulation film formed between a magnetoresistive effect type element end each of the magnetic shields is made very thin to accommodate the requirement for a high recording density.
A feature of the present invention to attain the above object is to provide a magnetoresistive effect type reproducing head formed by stacking on a substrate in the following order a lower magnetic shield made of magnetic material; a lower inter-layer insulation film; a magnetoresistive effect type element including a magnetic part, an insulation part and electrical conductivity parts, for detecting a magnetic field by using one of a magnetoresistive effect and a giant magnetoresistive effect; an upper inter-layer insulation film; and an upper magnetic shield made of magnetic material. It is also a feature of this invention to provide a recording-reproducing separation type magnetic head including a magnetic induction type recording head and the above-mentioned reproducing head, which are disposed adjacent to each other and are separated via a magnetic shield, and wherein one or both of the lower and upper magnetic shields includes a magnetic layer having a resistivity of more than 200 xcexcxcexa9xc2x7cm.
Further, a feature of the present invention is that, in the above-described magnetoresistive effect type reproducing head, a magnetic layer possessing a resistivity of more than 200 xcexcxcexa9xc2x7cm is provided between at least one of the lower and upper magnetic shields and a corresponding one of the inter-layer insulation films.
Moreover, a feature of the present invention is that, in the above-described magnetoresistive effect type reproducing head, a magnetic layer possessing a resistivity of more than 200 xcexcxcexa9xc2x7cm is provided in at least a region covering the magnetoresistive effect type element, in at least one of the lower inter-layer insulation film and the upper inter-layer insulation film.
Further, a feature of the present invention is that, in the above-described magnetoresistive effect type reproducing head, at least one of the upper and lower magnetic shields includes a magnetic layer possessing a high resistivity of more than 200 xcexcxcexa9xc2x7cm and a low-resistance magnetic layer, which are disposed adjacent to each other and separated via an insulation layer.
Further, a feature of the present invention is to provide a magnetoresistive effect type reproducing head formed by stacking a lower inter-layer insulation film, a magnetoresistive effect type element for detecting a magnetic field by using a magnetoresistive effect, and an upper inter-layer insulation film, wherein a magnetic layer possessing a resistivity of more than 200 xcexcxcexa9xc2x7cm is provided in at least a region covering a sensor part of the magnetoresistive effect type element, in at least one of the lower inter-layer insulation film and the upper inter-layer insulation film.
The above-mentioned magnetic layer of more than 200 xcexcxcexa9xc2x7cm, preferably more than 350 xcexcxcexa9xc2x7cm, more preferably more than 500 xcexcxcexa9xc2x7cm, is made of a chemical compound including at least one element of a group consisting of Co, Fe, and Ni and at least one element of a group consisting of O, N, F, C, P, S, and B.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a magnetic disk apparatus including a magnetic disk having a diameter of less than 3.5 inches, a means for rotating the magnetic disk, the above-mentioned magnetoresistive effect type reproducing head and a magnetic induction type thin film recording head.
In accordance with the present invention, a magnetic film of a high resistivity (more than 200 xcexcxcexa9xc2x7cm) is used at a part of at least one or both of an upper magnetic shield film and a lower magnetic shield film, in the vicinity of a magnetic gap. Moreover, under conditions wherein the resistance of the magnetic shield films is sufficiently larger than that of the sensor part in the magnetoresistive effect type element, even if sensing current leaks into the magnetic shield films, such as may be caused by pin holes generated in an insulation film between each magnetic shield film and a magnetoresistive effect type element, the current leakage is restricted, and break-down of the magnetoresistive effect type element scarcely occurs. Assuming that a sensing current shunts to the magnetic shield, it is possible to keep any decrease of the reproducing output of the head small by suppressing the leakage current to a small quantity. Thus, it is desirable to set the resistance of the magnetic shield films to approximately 10 times that of the sensor part of the magnetoresistive effect type element.
As a magnetic film having a high resistivity and an excellent soft magnetic performance, a magnetic film made of a chemical compound of (magnetic metal (Fe, Co, Ni)-metal-X (O, F, N)), or a magnetic film made of a material produced by adding C, P, S, B, etc., to alloy of Nixe2x80x94Fe, Fexe2x80x94Co, Nixe2x80x94Fexe2x80x94Co, etc., is known.
In accordance with the present invention, magnetic material of a high resistivity is used for a part of at least one of the upper and lower magnetic shields in a reproducing head using a magnetoresistive or giant magnetoresistive effect, which is used for a recording-reproducing separation type magnetic thin film head in a magnetic disk apparatus and so forth. Therefore, under conditions where the magnetic gap determined by the distance between the upper and lower magnetic shields is narrow, even if sensing current leaks between the magnetoresistive effect type element and one of the upper and lower magnetic shields, the reproducing of information is still possible. By using a magnetoresistive effect type reproducing head having a magnetic gap which is narrow, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a magnetic disk apparatus which exhibits a high linear recording density, and further, in which the azimuth angle correction is small, since the distance between the reproducing head and the recording head can be made narrow.
Further, a feature of the present invention is to provide a head disk assembly having a magnetic disk in which information is recorded, a recording-reproducing separation type magnetic head composed of a magnetic induction type recording head for recording information in the magnetic disk, a magnetoresistive effect type reproducing head for reproducing information recorded in the magnetic disk, and a drive means for rotating the magnetic disk, wherein the magnetoresistive effect type reproducing head has any one of the above-mentioned features, and in which the record density is more than 10 G bits/in2.
Furthermore, a feature of the present invention is to provide a magnetic disk apparatus including a plurality of head disk assemblies having a magnetic disk in which information is recorded, a recording-reproducing separation type magnetic head composed of a magnetic induction type recording head for recording information in the magnetic disk, a magnetoresistive effect type reproducing head for reproducing information recorded in the magnetic disk, and a drive means for rotating the magnetic disk, wherein each head disk assembly incorporates the above latest feature of the present invention.